All right.

Now, essence of time let us I'll go ahead and get it started.

So good evening, everyone.

Uh, as you post folks know, I'm uh representative Tom Bouchard from District One, and the chairman of the public safety and health committee.

Um, so calling this meeting to order.

Uh it's the seventh meeting of the 32nd Board of Representatives, um, public safety and health committee.

It's now 632.

Uh, thank you all for uh joining us this evening, uh especially those invitees in joining us.

Um just quickly take attendance for the committee members.

Um so I do see Terry Adams on, thank you.

Uh David Blank, uh Matt Dilo, Michael Field, uh Cara Gilbride, thank you, Cora Representative Chantham there, uh uh Chantagram.

Uh I did not see Eric joining us.

Um, and then Kendra Walstrand, thank you very much for joining us.

So we do have a quorum uh for the committee.

Um also any ex officio members uh from the board joining us.

Thank you very much for taking the time.

So kicking off, we have one item on the agenda for this evening.

Um so I'd like to introduce uh item one, which is PS32.010.

Uh it is a review item and is review of the blighted property procedures for the city of Stamford.

Uh this was submitted by Vice Chair Terry Adams, Representative Adams.

Um we did have a couple invitees, um, but I did only see uh Mr.

Vincent Fichia uh with us today.

I hope I pronounced that correct.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

It's uh Frisha.

Frisha.

All right.

So thank you.

Um so with that, um, I'd like to take a motion to open item number one.

Motion.

Uh is there a second?

Second.

All right.

So move and so second, uh, the item is open for discussion.

Uh at this point, uh, Terry, as I mentioned to you, I'd like to turn it over to you.

I recognize you uh to frame the discussion.

Uh, and then um we can move to questions led by you at this point.

So uh uh Terry, can you take it at this point?

Thank you.

Okay.

Oh, Vincent, could could you give us a review of the process of procedure for blighted property?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Yeah, just so that everyone knows uh I am I have been the uh outside attorney for the city on anti-blight matters for the last 16 years.

Um and also I'm not sure if if the chairman's aware, but um Mr.

Reed, who is the anti-blight officer, uh was planning on attending tonight, but he had sent me an email late in the day today saying that he was not able to attend, and he had emailed uh Barbara uh of that fact.

I do not know the reason why you couldn't attend, but I'm here to uh cooperate and to answer all the questions that uh you have for me.

Um so so uh representative Adams, um I can start from the beginning of the ordinance and give you my my my I took down some notes after rereading it today, uh, but I'm very familiar with the process.

So if you allow me to just mention that the um uh the ordinance is 146-45 at sequence, and uh this has been uh the ordinance uh it was majorly the ordinance majorly was revised in 2015-16 if I remember correctly, and then it was revised in another time, but but only to add some definitions and um uh some other things uh several years after that.

So right now we have the the first part of the of the ordinance defines uh all the terms and the types of of uh violations that would be applicable under the anti-blight uh ordinance.

Keep in mind too that the the uh anti-blight um process is also governed by state statute.

Uh so there's a variety of of uh statutes uh with the state of Connecticut that guide us as well.

But uh but primarily I'll be speaking today about the about the ordinance based on my experience.

And I'm sorry, that's my wife texting me saying she's home.

Um so um I'll start off with the enforcement aspect.

Um the uh director of operations is the administrator and the supervisor of the anti-blight process.

Um Sean Reed is the anti-blight officer.

He is duty to uh enforce uh the ordinance.

Uh and the first step.

Well, 99% of the time it's by a complaint by a citizen.